Ideas Unlimited: 11 Suggestions for New Inventions

securitas writes "The New York Times asked 11 prominent people to write about a device that they'd like to see invented (Google). Contributors include John Perry Barlow, Scott Adams, William Gibson and Bill Joy, among others. There are some intriguing ideas and some that are way out there, but lots of fun for geeks everywhere."

Re:Here's the next (realistic) thing I'd like to s

[Sc00ter]

They already have 4gig Compact Flash [dpreview.com] cards.

Open source ideas website

[StarEmperor]

Hey, we don't need 11 prominent people to come up with ideas. Everyday folks do just fine. Check out whynot.net [whynot.net] for a variety of clever solutions just waiting to be implemented.

Re:So...

[pdhenry]

One the right side of the page is a box lableled "Related" with each of the submissions listed...

for the nit-pickers in the crowd

[sootman]

(myself included) The story about CD length is debatable: here [urbanlegends.com] and here [urbanlegends.com].

Re:Replacement retinas

[BWJones]

They made a fake ear that actually allows people to hear, effectivly curing deathness when the ear is the problem. When you get it installed, which is a surgical process, everyone and everything sounds like daffy duck until your brain gets to know how it works.

Cochlear implants actually do work to some degree, and the limitations can be overcome by better amplifiers/more channels etc... The problem with cochlear implants is relatively simple with some causes of deafness. Vision rescue is a different beast however, and will require a more intimate knowledge of pathological processes and normal retinal functioning.

Re:Moby's is the best...

[cloudship_tacitus]

there are two kinds of addiction - physiological and psychological. that was a distinction that moby left out, in my opinion. he seems to be preoccupied with physiology. technically (and i'm remembering as best i can here, so might be a bit off), addiction is considered bad if it's maladaptive - i.e., it negatively affects your ability to attend to basic needs. so for instance, while there may be no physiological addiction to LSD or THC (could be argued either way in some cases), there can definitely be psychological addictions to the feelings/perceptual changes.

You spin me right round...

[Hittite Creosote]

They still exist [wicksteed.co.uk]. And you can get one without the speed restrictor!

Re:Moby's is the best...

[Builder]

Well, there is a problem with that. You see, the anti-drug puritans have basically defined "addiction" as "liking something and doing it regularly".

Rubbish! Addiction is commonly accepted to mean being so dependant on something that you just can't give it up. Addiction is normally accepted to mean that an addicted person trying to stop whatever behaviour or substance they are addicted to will suffer severe repurcussions and be unable to function during this period.

Re:gah, moby's getting dumb...

[tricknology]

Alchohol isn't chemically addictive

Umm, alcohol is quite chemically addictive. People who are seriously addicted to alcohol (think Leaving Las Vegas) and quit drinking without supervision can die from the withdrawal symptoms. The DTs aren't a result of a psychological addiction.